Joseph Majdalani, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the H. H. Arnold Chair of Excellence in Advanced Propulsion at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, was honored at the annual award luncheon hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Tennessee Section. The luncheon was held on May 29, 2013 at the Arnold Lakeside Center.
Majdalani received the AIAA Tennessee Section Special Award for mentoring and developing students capable of producing highly regarded scientific papers in very difficult areas of fluid mechanics pioneered by Majdalani. He is internationally known for remarkable scientific and academic productivity in the aeronautical and applied mathematical sciences and for his active participation in AIAA sponsored conferences. Majdalani’s graduate student mentorship has been consistent for many years.
Because of Majdalani’s devotion to graduate student success, his group at the UT Space Institute has received eight regional and national awards in the past four years. Majdalani has also been the recipient of the national Abe M. Zarem Educator Award for his demonstrated effectiveness in mentoring graduate students. Majdalani’s most notable team accomplishments in the past four years consist of winning two national awards and seven-out-of-seven ‘best papers’ at the Annual Southeastern Conference of the AIAA. Five of Majdalani’s students have received in an orderly succession the Outstanding GRA Award for the years 2007-2011.